


Jack-O'-Lanterns Will Guide You Home

by Blondhes



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Domestic Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Established Relationship, Face Painting, Fluff, Halloween, Ian Gallagher Loves Mickey Milkovich, M/M, Married Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Mickey Milkovich Loves Ian Gallagher, Post-Season/Series 10, Pumpkin Carving Contest, Pumpkin carving, Pumpkin pie, Street Fairs, how is that not a tag already it is so soft, ian and mickey as dad uncles, mickey loves food
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:13:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25125232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blondhes/pseuds/Blondhes
Summary: Ian wasn't sure how, but Liam had managed to drag Mickey, Franny, and himself to a Halloween street fair.
Relationships: Frances "Franny" Gallagher & Ian Gallagher & Liam Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich, Ian Gallagher & Liam Gallagher, Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich, Liam Gallagher & Mickey Milkovich
Comments: 11
Kudos: 124





	Jack-O'-Lanterns Will Guide You Home

**Author's Note:**

> This work is in response to a prompt posted on Tumblr by creativepromptsforwriting 
> 
> Here is the original prompt that I got carried away with: There is a competition for carving a pumpkin at the market and you think you can win against me. The Game is on!
> 
> It's two am right now so please excuse any mistakes you see. I reread this but who knows what my sleep deprived brain can't pick up.

Leaves crunched under Ian’s feet as he followed Liam who was weaving between people and the busy booths set up down the street. The day before, Liam had burst through the back door rambling on about a street fair he heard about from a kid at school. It was the middle of October and as the days counted down until Halloween, Liam only got more excited about the holiday. Sometime between him coming home and Ian helping Franny brush her teeth before bed, Ian found himself agreeing to go to the fair with Liam. His compliance bought him an energetic Franny and a discontented husband after he received the news. In hindsight, it didn’t take much to convince Mickey to tag along with the three of them, but if Ian had to guess it had something to do with the offer of a blowjob and Ian paying for the food.

Ian looked over his shoulder to make sure Mickey still had an eye on Franny and smiled softly when he noticed Franny’s hand was clasped tightly in one of Mickey’s. Since Debbie had been in the slammer, Ian had noticed how Franny had taken a liking towards his husband. Sometimes at night when she couldn’t sleep due to bad dreams, she’d crawl into their bed and settle herself partly on Ian’s side and under Mickey’s arm that had been previously slung over Ian’s chest. In the mornings he always finds them cuddled up in bed, Franny still tucked protectively under Mickey’s arm with one of her thumbs stuck in her mouth. It was moments like these that Ian found himself somehow falling deeper in love with Mickey. He’s really come far from the dirty, angry sixteen year old he first met.

Ian’s attention shifted at the sound of Liam calling his name. Liam stood in front of a brightly colored booth. Hanging on the cloth wall behind a young brunet woman were multiple small designs of all different colors. Ian looked down and read the sign nailed to the front of the table:

**Face Painting**

“Ian, can I get my face painted?” Liam asked excitedly. Since Ian and Mickey’s wedding, Ian had noticed a significant change in his youngest brother. Before, Liam was very quiet and reserved, which granted he still was, but since Ian announced the two of them would be living there for the foreseeable future, Liam had allowed himself to _ask for things._ Ian supposed to some people this might be a pitiful revelation: a child finally feeling comfortable enough to ask for things he wanted instead of needed, but to Ian it made his whole day brighter every time he saw that childlike look in Liam’s eyes. Ian always felt like all his siblings grew up too fast for him to recognize that look in Carl’s or Debbie’s eyes, so for him to see it in Liam’s at all, let alone coincidently after he got married, well he’d do anything to keep his brother feeling like it was okay to be a kid.

“Hell yeah, you can paint your face!”

Liam beamed from ear to ear and eagerly turned to the woman. While Liam quietly contemplated which design to choose, Ian smiled as he felt a familiar hand press to the middle of his back. Mickey stepped closer to Ian, pressing his left side to Ian’s right.

“Face painting, huh?” Mickey said. Ian smirked and exchanged a look with Mickey before he turned back just in time to see Liam choose a Spider-Man face and point to his cheek.

“Why? You want one?” Ian teased.

Mickey scoffed. “Yeah, how about right in the middle of my forehead? I’m thinkin’ a fat middle finger.”

Ian laughed and nudged his shoulder with Mickey’s. “Alright, alright.”

Ian, Mickey, and Franny stood in front of the booth quietly for the duration it took for Liam’s cheek to be finished. When the lady sat down her brush and held up a mirror for Liam, Ian fished his wallet out of his back pocket and passed over a five dollar bill.

“Thank you.” Ian smiled politely at the brunet.

“Oh it was my pleasure!” She brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and smiled. “What a beautiful family you two have!”

“Oh, um,” Ian fumbled. He felt heat rise to his cheeks and was very grateful Franny had captured Mickey’s attention at that very moment. “Thanks.”

Ian awkwardly spun Liam around and pushed him further into the crowd. With one hand on his brother’s shoulder, Ian reached back and grabbed at Mickey’s hand and led him forward.

“Let’s keep looking around. I thought I saw a sign for pumpkin pie.” Ian insisted. At the mention of food Mickey quickened his pace.

\---

As it turned out, it was not a pumpkin pie sign Ian saw, rather it was a pumpkin carving contest. Sat on the long table were dozens of pumpkins and even more littered the ground of all shapes and sizes. Ian watched as Franny squirmed out of Mickey’s grip and beelined for the green gnarly looking thing. Franny wrapped her small hands around the squash shaped pumpkin and hefted the small vegetable into her arms. Ian stepped forward and hovered his fingers around her bicep as she wobbled from the weight. Once she caught her balance, he took a step back next to Mickey and Mickey snorted when he noticed her odd gait. Franny teetered back towards her uncles and exclaimed proudly, “I want this one!”

“Little Red, they ain’t for sale. They’re for the competition.”

Ian watched in horror as Franny’s bottom lip jutted out and stared at Mickey with wide watery eyes.

“Wait, hold on a second. What are you doing?” Mickey desperately turned to Ian for help, sheer panic written on his face. “Make her stop, man.” Suddenly a loud wail cut through Mickey’s next words, causing both men to crouch down and try to calm down the crying four year old.

“I. Want. Pumpkin!” Franny screamed through her tears. Her tiny face was beginning to turn red and Ian tried to ignore the judgmental glares they were receiving by moms nearby.

“Franny, we can get a different pumpkin. Just not this one. This one is for the game, sweetheart.” Ian attempted to console her in his most soothing voice. It usually did the trick but apparently not this time, it only made her cry louder.

“Yeah, Little Red, don’t you want one that’s less fugly?” Mickey asked.

Ian turned and glared at his husband. He could not believe him sometimes. “Really, Mick? Not helping.” 

“Oh like what you’re doing is much better, Dr. fucking Phil.” Mickey emphasized his point by pointing uselessly at the screaming toddler in front of them who had now dropped the deformed pumpkin at her feet.

“Um guys,” Liam interrupted. Both men ignored him and continued to try to distract Franny. Mickey at one point even turned to bribing. “Guys!” Liam tried again. Sighing at once again being ignored, Liam shoved his brother aside and pushed a pumpkin the size of a baseball into Franny’s hands. At once, her cries ceased.

Ian, who had thrust a hand on the pavement to prevent himself from tipping over, looked on in awe. He locked eyes with Mickey who looked just as bewildered and amazed as he felt. Mickey shook his head, causing a few black strands to tumble over each other on the top of his head. He slowly stood up and pat Liam on his shoulder.

“Good thinking, kid. Where the fuck did you get that though?” Mickey nodded towards the pumpkin clutched tightly in Franny’s hands.

Liam shrugged. “Someone is handing them out for free at one of the booths over there.”

Ian’s knees popped as he stood up and he sent a thankful smile to Liam before turning to the poor vendor at the Pumpkin Carving Competition stall. The man was in his late sixties and was watching the four of them with a look of sympathy.

“I am so sorry about that.” Ian apologized.

“It’s quite alright. My wife is a redhead; I know how you all are.” The man’s voice was rough but kind as he gazed back at Ian.

“Yeah, no kidding.” Mickey snorted. “Fucking tell me about it.”

Ian rolled his eyes fondly. “Well we’ll just be on our way.”

“Wait, now, why don’t you play a friendly game of carving pumpkins.” The man suggested. Ian’s eyebrows raised in surprise. Did this man really just offer them to participate in his competition after witnessing Franny have a meltdown right in front of his stall, and probably scare away most of his contestants in the process?

“What?”

“Join the game,” The old man said with a smile. He gestured with an open palm towards the table that was decorated with pumpkins and carving knives.

“Really?” Ian couldn’t be hearing this right.

“Well of course,” The man continued to smile at Ian, shifting his gaze to Ian’s family behind him. “You boys could win free slices of pumpkin pie for all you folks.”

Ian was about to politely decline, sure Mickey wouldn’t want to participate in something as silly as a pumpkin carving competition, when Mickey himself side-stepped Ian.

“Well lets go, Grandpa, I don’t got all day.”

\---

Ian still couldn’t believe he was sitting at a table with Mickey Milkovich ( _Gallagher-_ Milkovich, he reminded himself and isn’t that just amazing?) about to have a pumpkin carving contest. They were sitting opposite of each other, Mickey with his back to the street, with a decently sized pumpkin sitting in front of each of them. Liam sat next to Mickey while Franny sat next to Ian. Liam was whispering different designs Mickey could do to him at the same time that Franny pointed out spots on Ian’s pumpkin where she thought the eyes and mouth should go.

There were five other people participating in the event. When the old man, who Ian has now learned is named Arthur, says ‘go,’ they have ten minutes to carve their best looking pumpkin. Arthur announced that his grandchildren were in the next booth over selling cookies and they will be the judges. 

“I’m gonna smoke you, Gallagher.” Mickey smirked.

“I’d like to see you try.” Ian laughed as he watched Mickey grip his carving knife and slice it through the air in front of his throat menacingly. Or Ian was sure it was supposed to look menacing but the soft look in his eyes as he stared at Ian wasn’t doing him any favors.

“I can do things with a knife you couldn’t believe.” Mickey leaned forward and licked his lips seductively. Ian rolled his eyes with a smile and a shake of his head. His husband.

“AND GO!” Arthur yelled. Franny tugged on Ian’s sleeve and made him focus on carving the pumpkin.

Seven minutes into the competition and Ian was getting nowhere. As it turned out, carving pumpkins is a lot harder than it looked, who knew? He’s managed to carve one jagged eye hole that Franny deems as acceptable and half a nose. He glanced to his left and his eyebrows furrowed as he realized his neighbor already was halfway done with the mouth and had detailed eyes _and_ eyebrows. How does one do that in seven minutes?

He chanced a glimpse at Mickey to see how he’s doing under the pressure and was momentarily stunned by how cute his husband is. Mickey’s brow was furrowed in concentration and his tongue was poking out of the corner of his mouth as he expertly glided the blade through the pumpkin. Ian knew he should feel worried that Mickey can control the knife so well but this was South Side. He knew who he was marrying when he said _I do._

What Ian _was_ worried about was Liam’s expression. He perched himself on his knees so he could lean over Mickey’s shoulder and was grinning manically. What the hell was Mickey carving?

“Two Minutes!”

“Shit!” Ian muttered. He turned back to his sad looking pumpkin and pointedly ignored Franny’s scolding for his language.

Ian stabbed the knife into the pumpkin and followed Franny’s instructions on what to carve. His hand was cramping and his knuckles ached to be popped by the time Arthur called time. Ian took one look at the pumpkin that sat before him and sent an apologetic glance Franny’s way. The pumpkin had two jagged eyes, an ‘L’ shape for a nose and the start of a crooked line for a mouth that only stretched an inch or so.

Ian turned sheepishly towards Mickey and was not surprised by the smirk he received.

“Now I’ll have my grandchildren walk around and rate your pumpkins. Whoever has the highest rating gets this pumpkin pie to bring home!” Arthur cheered. Ian resigned himself to a pumpkin pie free night.

It was as one of the grandchildren placed a score in front of Mickey that Ian moved his hand so it laid down on the table, arm stretched out with his palm facing upward. He looked at Mickey and smiled, nudging his hand forward. Mickey looked at him and then Ian’s empty palm then back to him with a blank look. He raised both eyebrows and watched in amusement as Ian sighed and not-so-subtly nodded to his hand then to Mickey’s. Mickey just continued to stare at Ian and if he was anyone else, Ian would have mistaken his silence and hard stare as a rejection but Ian was not just anyone else. He recognized what this was for Mickey, the smug asshole.

He’s taking the piss out of him.

“Just take my hand, bitch.” Ian griped. Ian’s tone was harsh and drew the attention of a few parents, but his smile softened his words. Mickey smirked and slid his hand into Ian’s.

“Unca Ian, look, we got a one!” Franny giggled as she reached for the card a blond child just placed in front of Ian. Mickey’s lips quirked up like they did when he was trying not to laugh. Ian glared at him and flipped him off, no longer caring about the children that surrounded them. That earned a chuckle from his asshole of a husband. Ian could just tell by the look on his face and the glee in Liam’s eyes they won this stupid contest.

“Alright, who got a ten?” Arthur asked, rubbing his hands together. He scanned his contestants and smiled widely when Mickey stood up, waving the ten card around like he’s at fucking pride.

Ian scoffed. “Of fucking course.” Ian turned to the man on his left and muttered, “Can you believe this guy? Probably bribed the kids or some shit.”

Despite Ian’s words, he felt warmth spread through his chest as he watched his husband happily grab the pie from Arthur. Liam spun their pumpkin around and Ian’s jaw dropped. Mickey had managed to carve fucking Darth Vader into the pumpkin. What the fuck.

“What the fuck, Mickey!” Ian vocalized. “I thought we were doing like smiley faces, not this next level shit. Babe, this is _awesome!”_

Mickey blushed and waved a hand dismissively. “Nah, man. It ain’t that great.” Still, Mickey bit his lip and looked at Ian shyly.

Ian felt so much love for this man. He swept Franny under one arm and rounded the table. He threw his other arm around Mickey’s shoulders and shouted to the table of parents and children alike, “This is my motherfucking husband, bitches!”

\---

On Halloween night, only a few days later, two jack-o’-lanterns sat side by side on the front steps of a rickety, old, much loved house, lighting up the dark street as a beacon for a misfit family of four. 

**Author's Note:**

> Also please send me prompts on my Tumblr if you want. My tumblr is isometimeswrite 
> 
> I hope you are all doing well :)


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